India’s Operation Sindoor compelled Pakistan to rush through constitutional amendments and restructure its top military leadership, indicating that the operation exposed serious institutional weaknesses in Islamabad’s defence framework, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Friday.
Speaking at the Pune Public Policy Festival 2026 at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), General Chauhan said Pakistan’s response following the operation showed that the military confrontation did not go in its favour.
Operation Sindoor was carried out on May 7, 2025, when India launched precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians.
According to the CDS, Pakistan amended Article 243 of its Constitution, which governs the relationship between the civilian leadership and the armed forces. The amendment led to a sweeping overhaul of Pakistan’s higher defence structure.
As part of the changes, Pakistan abolished the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and replaced it with a Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). It also created new entities, including a National Strategy Command and an Army Rocket Forces Command, signalling a major shift in military doctrine.
Under the amended framework, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has served as Pakistan’s army chief since November 2022, was given operational control over the army, navy, and air force. The changes also reportedly grant him lifetime immunity from arrest and prosecution, drawing criticism from analysts who warn of a drift towards authoritarianism.
General Chauhan noted that the restructuring has resulted in land, joint, and strategic military authority being concentrated in a single individual, a move he described as reflective of a land-centric approach to warfare.
“The Army Chief is now responsible for land operations, joint operations with the Navy and Air Force, as well as strategic and nuclear matters. The creation of the Rocket Forces Command adds another significant layer,” he said, according to PTI.
India and Pakistan later reached an understanding on May 10 to halt hostilities after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile exchanges, bringing the confrontation to a temporary close.
